Stol from Valvasor Mountain Lodge, up and down!

Loop trail from Valvasor mountain hostel climbing Stol, the highest peak in the Karavanke mountains. This hike is basically one long climb up, then a long descent down.

The first half is an unrelenting ascent, with no real breaks, so is pretty tough. This is a quad-buster with some precipitous sections, and you will certainly have a cardio workout: I would say that casual hikers may find this rather difficult.

However, the views are incredible. As you emerge from the forest shortly after starting, Lake Bled is laid before you as a glittering watery carpet, tiny houses far below. Triglav national park appears in the distance, a line of broken teeth on the horizon.

Keep on plodding up, snaking your way up the mountain side, though patches of forest and rock, until you reach an open long draining section of limestone scree to climb for the final push, with Stol looming above you.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You should take care at the top of Stol. The mountain approach goes up at a 45 degrees on the Slovene side, with rock and grass, but once at the summit, the northern Austrian side of the ridge is an abrupt knife-edge sheer drop, with some uneven rocky outcrops. It is dangerous. The winds can be strong. Please don’t get over-excited and rush to look over the edge, as it would be easy to trip. A fall would certainly be fatal, the cliffs are many hundreds of metres high. You have been warned!

Once you are atop Stol you are treated to a stunning 360 vista. The northern side of the ridge is revealed - Austria laid out before you and far off alps in the distance. The ridge line is the border between Slovenia and Austria.

To the south east from the ridge line looking back the way you came, into Slovenia you can see all the way to Ljubljana, as well as Lake Bled, Jesenice, the valley with the milky turquoise Sava river, and the Julian Alps and Triglav National Park. A simply wonderful vista. I was so lucky it was a clear day. Crows swooped across the ridge, riding the thermals hitting the cliffs on the Austrian side, and they may try and steal your sandwiches! Amazing, beautiful and intelligent birds.

Slightly down on the Slovene side, across on a slightly lower peak is the Prešernova koča na Stolu mountain hut, but this is only open in spring and summer. I hiked in November (although the weather was unseasonably beautiful, clear and warm) so it was shut. But in the summer there is food and drink available there for weary walkers.

Climbing down is a long steady winding descent, some loose stones so be careful. Quicker than the ascent but quite difficult on the feet, and needs careful concentration.

Starting and ending point is the fabulous Valvasorjev dom pod Stolom mountain hut which I stayed in, a very cosy and welcoming establishment with very friendly and lovely staff. The ričet was absolutely delicious and was a fitting reward for the 1100 metres ascent.

This hike will require a full day, so I advise setting out early! But it’s a great one. Fairly strenuous but amazing.